Button or the like



J. G. woLFF 2,067,222

BUTTON OR THE LIKE Filed nec. 1'2, 1935 Patented Jan. 12, 1937 mman STATES PATENT orificeV BU'r'roN on. 'run mm Jerome Ganierre Wolff, Waterbury, Conn., as-

signor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 12, 1935, Serial No. 54,049

10 Claims. (Cl. 40-20) by the possible for the design, which may be the,

manuiacturers trade mark on the buttons, to be always in correct position on the garments. Such proper positioning will not only enhance the appearance ofthe garment but will also enable others viewing the garment to read the trade mark on the buttons at a glance, thereby adding advertising value of benefit to the manufacturer.

The present invention has for its primary object the provision of buttons .of various types having a design, ornamentation or trade mark, on their top adapted for use in button feeding and attaching machines, and so formed as to insure that the design or other ornamentation on the button top will always be in a definite position when the buttons reach the attaching station. To accomplish this I form the buttons with means which bears a denite relation to the design and adapted for cooperative action with means on the button-feeding mechanism for orienting the design so that it will always have a definite position when it reaches the attaching station. The means on-the buttons which bears the deilnite relation to the design may take the form of a rib, groove, detent, knurl or the like,

which is preferably located on the back, body or on the hub of the button, depending upon the type of button to which the invention is applied and the manner of attachment of such button to the garment or other article. Moreover, the orienting means on the buttons are preferably of such form as not to interfere with the use of the button after it has been attached to a garment or otherA article. The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawing showing several embodiments, and wherein, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tack button having a trade mark thereon. l

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the button shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2

Figs. 4, 6, 8 and 10 are bottom plan views, some `with parts broken away, showing further modications of the invention.

Figs. 5, '7 and 9 are sections taken substantially along the planes of the lines 5-5, 'l-T and 9-9 of Figs. 4, 6 and 8, respectively, parts of the button being shown in elevation.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the button shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of a two hole sew-on button embodying the invention.

Fig. 13 is a section taken along the plane of the line I3-l3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a plan view showing the intended position of the button shown in Fig. 1 when applied to a fabric strap of a garment or other article.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing,

I have shown the invention as applied to a conventional form of tack button, comprising a cap or shell 20, of generally circular conguration having an inturned marginal lip 2l engagl ing over a complemental upturned marginal lip 22 on a ange 23 extending outwardly from a cylindrical hub 24, the bottom of which has an inturned ange 25 dening an axial opening. The parts 22 to 25 may be said to constitute the body portion of the button. Mounted within the button between the cap 20 and ange 23 is an anvil plate 26, and disposed between said anvil plate and the inturned lip 25 is a ller element 26 having an axial opening therethrough in alignment with the opening through the flange 25. The cap or shell 20 on its top is provided lwith an ornamental design-21, herein shown as consisting of the words or trade mark Scovill, the name oi the assignee of this invention, disposed across the button in a straight line. Obviously, the design may consist of any word, characters, emblem or ornamentation, as desired. The tack button thus far described is merely by way of illustration and the invention is not limited thereto but has general application to any type of tack button, other button or other analogous device', as will presently appear.

According to the present invention the flange 23 may be rovided with a groove 28 formed by depressing a portion of the metal out of its normal plane or contour, which groove bears a denite relation to the design on the top of the shell, and as herein shown said groove extends along a radial line oi' the iiange 23 and is made to underlie the diametrical line along which the design 21 extends. It will be obvious, however, that the groove 28 may bear any other denite relation to the design, and which, when the button is fed down the usual button-feeding track or slideway of a button-feeding mchanism, will provide cooperative engagement with means on said mechanism (-not shown) for engaging said button and causing it to assume a denite position, inwhich position it is presented to the buttonattaching or setting station. The mechanism for positioning the design on this and the other types of buttons disclosed in the present application.

constitutes the subject-matter of an application of Henry Miller, Serial No. 64,897, filed Februar 20, 1936.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the means upon the button which bears a definite relation to the design for registering said design in a button feeding and attaching mechanism is in the form of a rib 30 struck up fromthe flange 23, which rib, in the assembling of the cap. or shell on the body, is caused to assume said definite relation to the design. In said figures the rib 30 is shown as bearing the same relationship to the design as does the groove 28 in Figs. 1 to 3. In said Figures 4 and -5 the hub of the button is shown as formed in the same manner as in Figs. 1 to 3, that is, for cooperation with a tack (not shown) which is adapted to be passed through the article to which the button is to be attached substantially simultaneously with the securing of the button member proper to said tack.-

In Figs. 6 and 7 the means on the button which bears a definite relation to the design on the cap is in the form of an indentation orI detent in the hub intermediate the length thereof. In Figs. 8 and 9 the means on the button which bears a denite relation to the design is in the form ofan indented rib or groove 33 extending longitudinally of the hub, while in Figs. 10 and` the groove 33 and the knurled portion 3d need not extend the full length of the hub but may be of any lesser length. In other words, the means on the button which bears a, deiinite relation to the design need only be of such character as is capable of cooperative engagement with means on the button feeding and attaching mechanism for properly registering the design on the button at the attaching station. 4

In Figs. l2 and 13 I have shown the application of my inventive idea to an ordinary sew-on button. In said ngures the sew-on button 35 having two spaced holes 36 is formed on its top face with the characters OK, the said letters being disposed in anking relation to the holes 35. For orienting such button so as to present it -in denite position at the button-attaching station of an automatic sew-on button machine, I form in the back of said button a groove or recess 3l along a radial line, which, as shown, is at right angles to the diameterpassing through the holes 36, or,

the design always bears a definite relation to said design and therefore renders it impossible for the buttons to be fed to the attaching station in any other than the proper position. In the various modifications shown, it will be observed that a preliminary setting of the body portion with respect to the cap or shell is necessary in assembling the button parts in the process of manufacture to accurately register the groove, rib, detent, knurling and the like, with the design on the cap. This problem of assembling, however, does not constitute part of the present invention.

'I'he invention as hereinbefore described'has been directed primarily to tack buttons of the top shell type and to a sew-on button. However, it will be appreciated that the concept underlying the present invention is also applicable to snap fastener elements and other devices which are subject to analogous problems in assembling, hence I do not wish to be limited to the specic types of buttons herein disclosed nor to the spe- Acinc means for registering the design with a butthe` button disposed out of the surface contour thereof and bearing a definite relation to the design or registering the design with a buttonattaching means.

2. A button or the like comprising a top and a hub, a design on its top and means on the button rearwardly of the top extending beyond the normal surface contour of said button and bearing a definite relation to the design for registering the design with a button-attaching means.

3. A button or the like having a top and a hub, a design on the top and means on the hub bearing a definite relation to the design adapted for co-operative engagement with orienting means on a button-attaching means for registering the design with a button-attaching means.

4. A button or the like having a top and a hub, a design on the top and a part on the hub disposed out of the surface contour thereof and bearing a definite relation to the design for registering the 'design with a button-attaching means.

5. A button or the like having a top and a hub, a design on the top and a recess on the hub bearing a definite relation to the design for registeri ing the design with a button-attaching means.

6. A button of the top shell type, comprising a top shell and a body member over which the shell is mounted, the shell having a design on the top thereof and the body member having a recess therein bearing a definite relation to the design for registering the design with a button-attaching means.

7. A tack button comprising a body portion and a shell mounted thereon having a design on its top and means on a part of the button disposed out of the surface contour thereof and bearing a denite relation to the design for registering the design with a button-attaching means.

8. A tack button comprising a body portion `and. a shell mounted thereon having a design on 9. A tack button comprising a head and a shank, the head having a design on its top and means on a part of the button disposed out of the surface contour thereof and bearing a. definite relation to the design for registering the design with a button-attaching means.

10. A staple button comprising a head and a shank, the head having a design on its top and means on a part of the button disposed out of the surface contour thereof and bearing a denite relation to the design for registering the design with a button-attaching means.

JEROME G. WOLFF. 

